The years of the brand's Italian commercial penetration coincide with the spread of the Art Nouveau style. Although highly appreciated throughout the old continent, in Italy there remained a strong interest in archaeology and classical revivalism. In the same period the "garland" style took hold, very common among the main jewelers in Europe, characterized by jewels unmistakably adorned with ribbons, diamonds and pearls. Inevitably this style from beyond the Alps also influenced the first creations of precious items and the very signs of the Bulgari boutiques where one reads: " Argentiera artistica, antiquites, bijoux e curiosites ". The choice to borrow this aesthetic canon from fashion, combining it with that of classical derivation, gives an international character, a blend of Italian and French that marks a sophistication of the brand.
BULGARI: THE SEARCH FOR A DREAM WORLD AND THE YEARS OF CONSECRATION
Adopting a dialectical approach with Art Deco, Bulgari works on the formal recognisability of its creations : more massive, with the cutting of cabochon stones that recall simple geometric shapes such as those used in classical decorative and architectural compositions.
This begins the process of searching for a dreamlike world, typical of the brand, which draws inspiration from an observable context, such as Roman ruins, and alludes to a return to an order far from the formal exuberance offered by Art Nouveau.
With the opening in 1934 of the renovated Boutique in Via Condotti, Bulgari consolidated that flourishing commercial scene represented by a prestigious local and international clientele made up of industrialists, aristocrats, creatives, politicians and actors. The Latinized sign “ Bvlgari ”, still well preserved, is a clear and further homage to the classical period.
BULGARI WATCHES
Alongside the production of silver and jewelry, the production of watches began in the 1920s, but without the presence of its own manufacturing facility. The movements of the first timepieces of the brand at the time were supplied by the best mechanism manufacturers.
While the first production sees the creation of sober brooch or pocket watches , the second instead proposes the more eclectic creation of snake-shaped bracelets with the timepiece placed on the reptile's head. For more than eighty years, the watches of the "Serpenti" line have built the iconic image of the brand's women's watchmaking . Although already present as a subject in late nineteenth-century jewelry, it is proposed by Bulgari as an element linked to the Hellenistic-Roman world, as a symbol of wisdom, life and eternity , to be worn as an ornament or talisman.
This iconic model has been declined with enamel work, different shades of gold and the snake's head often replaced by an extravagant fantasy of shapes and dials.
The progressively more stylized serpent has been equipped over time with movements from Audemars Piguet, Jeager Le-Coultre, Vacheron Constantin and Movado, visible in their names on the dials accompanied by the Bulgari brand.
Close to the shapes of the “ Serpenti ” model, the “ Tubogas ” model represents, with its flexibility and sinuosity , a unique model, also available in many qualities of gold. The same element can give shape to bracelets, necklaces and watches.
In addition to the classical symbolism of the snake, Bulgari's search for formal character also passes through the singular design of ancient architectural forms ; an example of such inspirations is the “ Anfiteatro ” model which with its case and concave rehaut recalls the shapes of the stands of a Roman amphitheatre.
The brand refines its aesthetic-formal cornerstones with jewels with marked volume and fundamental geometric shapes . The three-dimensional development follows a design process similar to the architectural one. Concave and convex elements that characterize stones and watch cases are found in the cabochon cut that is a clear reference to the dome, and elementary shapes such as the circle and the square trace the plans of the buildings or their stone decorations.
These formal characteristics contribute to the production of objects that are always original, independent of the various aesthetic suggestions that follow one another through the various eras.
THE AESTHETICS OF THE BULGARI BRAND
In all these creations, yellow gold remains the favourite material of the Bulgari brand, always referring to classical tradition and emphasizing the value of the set gems.
The combination of colors of different metals and especially stones, will be the other linchpin on which the aesthetic proposal of the brand will rest. All these characteristics will participate in the determination of a unique and recognizable character , capable of establishing itself as an alternative to other luxury brands of the time.
It is perhaps in the 1960s that the Hellenic-Roman genius loci manifests itself entirely through the production of jewels adorned with ancient classical coins set inside necklaces, brooches, bracelets and rings. The peculiarity of these precious items is the definitive consolidation of the Bulgari style in continuity with the founder's origins and with the experience of his commercial history.
BULGARI WATCHES AND JEWELRY: CONFIRMATION OF CONTEMPORARY
Since the late 1970s, Bulgari watchmaking has taken on an ever-increasing importance thanks to the birth of Bulgari Time, a Swiss company dedicated to the production of increasingly sophisticated timepieces. The manufacture has the task of building movements ever closer to the quality standards typical of Swiss maisons, initially sharing the know-how of Girard Perregaux.
In 1977, “ BVLGARI-BVLGARI ” was born, the house’s icon of success, the best-selling, the most versatile in terms of materials, complications and dials.
The classic approach in composing different shapes will be useful for the creation of the “ Parenthesis ” line , in which we recognize an ordered repetition of straight and curved lines , which do not require other ornamental applications. The modularity allows to create bracelets, earrings and necklaces consistent with the character and style of the brand.
Even in contemporary times, Bulgari watchmaking is guided by the same principles: “ Octo ” perhaps best represents the new frontier of Bulgari style .
The shape of the timepiece draws inspiration from pure, clean, decisive classic forms but capable of overlapping to create a harmony of symmetries that are more architectural than design-based.
“ Octo ” is an object with a clear and recognizable character, such as to become a new icon of men's watchmaking. The ever-increasing number of variations and complications is indicative of the commercial success of this collection. With Octo, Bulgari also challenges the limits of technology, introducing innovations, including the record for thickness such as the ultra-thin Octo Finissimo.
With a case thickness of just 1.8 mm and a bracelet thickness of 1.5 mm, the Octo Finissimo Ultra is the latest model presented by Bulgari after having collected a series of thinness records and international design awards over the last decade. A new world record is thus set, the latest stage in a ten-year story of the model that over the years has adopted various technological innovations with new patents that characterize the timepieces in different materials, from titanium to steel to ceramic.
Bulgari is still strongly rooted in the classical aesthetic universe, the entry into the LVMH group has only opened new horizons making the brand even more international and developing its full potential. The opening of new hotel facilities with the Bulgari brand and the production of refined objects, in addition to jewelry and watches, signal the desire to express a wide-ranging idea of luxury, faithful to its values and therefore recognizable worldwide.
In-depth analysis by Daniele Beacco
Watch Advisor
